


Supernova

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha!Pepper, Alpha!Steve, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Angst, Beta!Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Flashbacks, Fluff, Hostage Situation, Kid Fic, Kidnapping, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Omega!Bucky, Omega!Natasha, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Recovery, Rumlow is a piece of trash, Smut, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Stream of Consciousness, Therapist!natasha, Therapy, Trust Issues, alpha!bruce, and warn I guess idk, i guess, its really not that deep but, kid!Peter, mentions of rape/abuse, momma!bucky, omega!Tony, psychopath stream of consciousness study??????, some porn w/o plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-03-02 09:36:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18808519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After years in captivity Bucky and his daughter Nova must adjust to society. They are enrolled in the Stark Industries Support Alpha program. Steve Rogers is a retired Veteran looking for his place in the world, and maybe that place is in a brave pup and her mother’s hearts.(Wow what a shit summary I’m sorry)(Just read it it’s ok I swear)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [What I Used To Be](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6915553) by [thepinupchemist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepinupchemist/pseuds/thepinupchemist). 



> I haven’t written a fic in YEARS so please have patience ❤️ xo
> 
> ALSO I have no like plans for this fic I’m just writing for fun so more tags/warnings will be added as needed.
> 
> PSA: this work was inspired by various support alpha/omega fics I’ve read on this site!! Any commonalities are not intentional.

Light filled the dark room, waking Bucky from his sleep to immediately grab at Nova protecting her from the sudden intruder. The light was blinding to them, Bucky attempted to cover them with the thin blanket they used as a comforter on the small rotting mattess which was situated at the corner of the room.

 

Voices filled the usually quiet space, alarming the young omega mother. His drowsy and alarmed state made it hard to distinguish what was happening, suddenly there was a shadow blocking the light, Bucky fearfully peeked through the large hole in the blanket.

 

"It's okay, you're safe now." The man spoke, an obvious beta judging by his lack of scent and stature. Anxious phormones filled the small space, both the omega and his child trembling in fear.

 

"We're the police, we're just trying to help you."The man elaborated, trying his best to keep the frightened omega calm and to safer place. Bucky snapped out of his dissociative state to realize what was happening.

 

_They found him._

 

_He was safe._

 

_He can't hurt us anymore._

 

"Momma." His little one whimpered, trembling with fear as a result of the unknown Beta. Having only every known two scents, the pup was overwhelmed with confusion. Bucky slowly moved away from the corner of the room, discarding the ratty old blanket with his little one hanging on tightly to him.

 

He stood up shakily, his malnourished body struggling to keep him steady. The officer caught them as the omega lost his balance, assuring him that he was there to help him, get them somewhere safe. The stimuli was overwhelming, he hadn't even registered the red and blue lights dancing throughout the concrete walls of the room, streaming in through the open door.

 

Everything was a blur after that, he's pretty sure he must have fainted but he remembers being lifted, his pup's weight in his arms. Voices and sirens invading his hearing. Everything was too much, too soon.

 

-

Bucky startles awake, expecting to be in the dark room he's known for years, with him standing in the shadows. He is instead greeted with a dimly lit hospital room, the blindes are shut but a small light was left on.

 

Acting on instinct he immediately panics. Where is his baby, his pup, his Nova. Although he feels like he might faint at any seconds, he stands from the bed, not registering the fact that he's tied down by an IV and various fluids. His motherly instincts override his reason and he rips the IV out, desperately searching the room for his baby.

 

 _She's gone_.

 

He immediately cries out, terrified that they've taken his pup away, his starlight. A man comes barging into the room wearing a white coat, a doctors' attire. When seeing Bucky he rushes towards him, keeping him steady. The omega thrashes and kicks against his hold, taking any means necessary to protect himself. Rivers of tears are running from his tired eyes.

 

"M-My pup, where is my pup!"He cries out, grabbing the nearest weapon, a metal bedpan, in case he needs to beat the information out of the doctor.

 

"James, my name is Doctor Banner, my team and I are here to help you, your daughter is safe and in the room right beside us."The man spoke, his eyes flashing with a caring gaze as he held his hands up in surrender.

 

"Why would you take my baby?!"He cried once more, raising the bedpan. _After the absolute hell he'd been through these pricks thought they could take his pup away from him?! Over his dead fucking body._

 

"James you were in very bad condition, we thought it would be best to treat your daughter in a separate room while you recovered, if you would allow me to replace your IV I promise you we'll bring her to you."The doctor promised. Everything was too much for Bucky, the life changing events that had happened in such a short period of time werecatching up to him.

 

He remembered his last few days in the room, he had been angry because Bucky had begged him to buy Nova some vitamins. She had never truly seen the sun, only a small skylight on the roof of the room was her knowledge of the outside world.

 

He remembered the intense pain in his stomach, the feeling of his ribs sticking out as a result of his decision to give them as little food as possible. Bucky made sure Nova ate most of the food that was given to them. It worked for a while, until the omega realized he was fading away. The few days before he was rescued, were spent in bed, crying silently as Nova sleeps because he believed he would be dying within a few weeks of starvation. He remembered the bruises on his skin from simply movements, _his_ disgusting hands touching his cheeks.

 

The bedpan made a loud sound as it was dropped from Bucky's hands as the omega dropped to his knees and immediately broke down. It was then that Bucky realized that the doctor was an Alpha , who was currently producing calming phormones in order to render him calm. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and a soothing voice attempting to calm him down.

 

_Fuck did I pass out again?_

 

Bucky awoke, this time with the familiar scent of his daughter in his nose. He sleepily opened his eyes to find her now laying on his chest, her nose pressed against his scent gland as she slept peacefully. He stayed that way for a while, looking around the room at objects he never thought he would see again, the blinds were a bit more open, he could see a city below their room. The sun shined brightly, a sight Bucky never thought he would see again.

 

His trance was broken by a knock followed by the calming alpha scent from earlier drawing in. Bucky tightened his grip around Nova, determined to never let them touch her again, to never let anyone touch her again.

 

"Mr. Barnes, glad to see that you're awake."The doctor greeted with a forced smile, the situation obviously taking it's toll.The frightened omega accepted the sincerity in the doctor's eyes, his logical thoughts floating in. Not everyone in the world is out to get you, _he_  is a fucked up psychopath and you will not let him run your life anymore.

 

"I'm sorry about what happened earlier."Bucky apologized sheepishly. The doctor simply waved his hands and shook his head.

 

"It was a normal reaction for someone who has gone through what you went through James."The doctor explained.

 

"Bucky."The omega corrected and the doctor lifted an eyebrow questionenly. Bucky swallowed nervously before clearing his throat and elaborating quietly.

 

"H-He called me James, my name is Bucky."He stated confidently, establishing his ground. The doctor smiled, stepping closer in order to check his vitals.

 

"I'm the clinical Psychologist here at Manhattan Medical and will be overseeing your case and recovery, along with my team. You've been through a very traumatic experience and it will take a lot of time to heal the physical and emotional wounds. When you're ready, we can talk about the next steps we can take in you and your daughter's recovery. We have contacted your parents and they are on their way to see you."The doctor gave a warm smile at that. The door opened once again, the traumatized omega jumping at the sound before realizing it was just a nurse pushing in a tray of food. The mere smell of it made him feel like heaving over, he swallowed roughly, noticing a peculiar sensation running from his nose and down his throat. Reaching up he felt a tube, it was inserted through his nose and most likely ended at his stomach.

 

The Alpha-Doctor Banner, thanked the nurse before noticing the confusion on Bucky's face as his fingers danced over the tube.

 

"The team decided it was best that you be fed through tube for the first few weeks, until your throat and stomach can handle the stress of food. The omegas fingers slide down towards his throat, just now noticing the apparent bruising given the sensitivity of the skin. The doctor cleared his throat before explaining.

 

"W-We believe you were choked rather recently, causing acute damage to your airways and throat because of your malnourished state."

 

_Oh_

 

The omega desperately searched his memories for the last time he choked him, but everything was so foggy the last few... months? He could only guess given there were no clocks in the room, his only knowledge of night and day being the small skylight. Bucky nodded with understanding, trusting the doctors to know best.

 

He had so many questions spinning through his mind, making his head ache with overstimulation. He didn't know much of what happened to him while in the room, given half the time he was heavily drugged or passed out from the pain. He remembers his daughters tiny hands running through his long hair, her nose breathing in his scent as her tears dripped onto his skin.

 

"I-Um... What year is it?"Bucky asked quietly. The doctor gave him a sad smile.

 

"It's 2019."

 

_2019?_

 

_When was he taken again?_

 

_Walking, cold weather staining his cheeks red, darkness, broken street light, hands over his mouth with a white towel rendering him unconscious, van, room, his clothes were gone, the man returned, rape, days crying out for help but no one could hear him._

 

_Bucky? Bucky are you with me?_

 

_Momma?_

 

The omega startled out of his trance to see his little one was awake, her stormy blue eyes filled with concern. The doctor was now closer, his hand was on his shoulder, he was also concerned.

 

"It's fine, just bad memories."

 

"Ja-Bucky, we want you to take it slow, you and your daughter have been through so much the past ten years, but we believe you can make a full recovery with additional help."

 

 _Seven Years_

 

Bucky was taken in 2012, a few days before his 16th birthday, time lost meaning after that but he could guess it must have been 2015 when he gave birth to Nova, making her four years old.

 

He broke, sobbing against his daughters shoulder while the doctor attempted to comfort him, there was no comforting what he'd gone through, the terrible nightmare of blanks in his memory, the fear that he had touched his daughter while Bucky was drugged or passed out.

 

It was his daughters tiny hands on his cheeks that brought him back, she was crying too, worried about her momma. The rest of the day was a blur of questions and doctors and psychologists and police. He told them all he knew, which wasn't much. He was kidnapped on a dark street corner during a cold night in March, 2012, he was taken somewhere, a small, cold,  room with a skylight. He was sexually assaulted daily, leading to the birth of Nova while in captivity. He never knew the mans name, not until a police officer, the one that had found him, explained what they knew about what happened to him. The officer, Sam, a nice young beta who was sadly given the task to draw out the scarring information from the traumatized omega, told him his name.

 

The man who took him was Brock Rumlow, a convicted felon who was only caught because of a mere traffic violation turned car chase. He would be spending the rest of his days in a maximum security prison most likely. The officer explained that his testimony would be key in the trail, but not required given the amount of evidence they found at his residence.

 

They were charging him with multiple counts of child molestation, rape, kidnapping, and assault just to name a few.

 

The pup cuddled closer to her mother, who's hands were covering her ears so she wouldn't have to her the atrocities that had happened throughout her short life. The officer left after a few hours of talking through the events and recording whatever information Bucky knew of that would help them build a case against him.

 

"I know that everything must be extremely overwhelming for you, but I'm friends with a woman named Pepper, she runs a rehabilitation program for omega such as yourself and would love to meet you to discuss the details."The officer ended with that, giving Bucky a sad look before leaving the small family to their own devices. Bucky felt like digging himself into a hole in the earth and never coming back, he wasn't ready to accept the trauma he and his daughter had been through, but maybe this rehab program could be the first step in the right direction.


	2. Chapter 2

The following days were a blur, his family had come to see him, all of them sobbing at the sight of their long lost son. Nova hid under the sheets, terrified the commotion happening around her. His mum hugged him for hours, helping him coax Nova our from under the sheets to finally give her granddaughter a hug. The pup nuzzled into her grandma's arms, realizing “oh she smells like my momma.”

They talked for what seemed like days, about what had happened, about the search team that had been looking for him for months; the amount of private investigators that had failed to locate their omega son. They talked about the funeral that was held for him a few years back, after the police had told them that their chances of finding him alive were slim to none. Bucky realized that his entire family had mourned him, they believed he was dead while he was bloodying his knuckles from banging on the walls of the room in order to catch someone's attention, he screamed, he screamed until he lost his voice. He screamed in pain, in sorrow, he screamed for his daughter who had never seen a tree or a butterfly, who had only known abuse and darkness for her entire life.

His father, an alpha male who he had not seen cry during their time with them, had sobbed at the sight of his son. He told him the guilt he felt for losing his pup, for giving up on him, for not protecting him as a father should. Bucky sobbed for hours in his family's arms, finally together again.

The first week at the hospital was a time for adjusting and learning for his pup. He showed her what a TV was, what strawberry's tasted like, music, art and so much more. One night they were escorted to the roof of the hospital by a nurse, and they watched the stars above for hours. Nova was like a sponge, absorbing as much information as she could. She started smiling and giggling, showing vital signs of improvement in adjusting to her new and unknown surroundings. Each night Bucky would read her a different bedtime story, the gifts from family and friends piled up in their room, all kinds of toys for Nova along with books, clothes and new technology for Bucky.

Nova was his rock, seeing her smiling face every day assured him that they would be okay, that if they could survive _him_ , they could survive anything.

One calm afternoon, while Nova was watching her self-proclaimed favorite show on the "magic window", that being some new show about talking animated animals, a thin, strawberry blonde Alpha appeared in their doorway.

"Hello Bucky, my name is Pepper Potts, I assume Sam spoke to you about considering our rehabilitation program?"She had a warm, inviting smile, unlike _his_ lust filled smiles when _he_  watched Bucky struggle beneath him, when _he_ beat him to a pulp, when _his_ fingers blocked his airways to render Bucky unconscious.

Nova peeked her little head out from under the covers, when realizing this person was not a threat she immediately wanted to be her friend. Bucky had been trying to get her to be more social around other people, expand her vocabulary and get her used to new scents. In her Hello Kitty pajamas she bounced out from under the bed and went to hug Pepper's knees. The alpha smiled warmly and Bucky had tears in his eyes from the gesture, his pup was finally adjusting.

"Hello! I'm Nova and if you hurt my momma I will get my revenge!"She warned, Pepper let out a short laugh before realizing that the pup was not kidding. She crouched down to her height and tucked a piece of brown hair behind the pups ear.

"That's very brave of your sweetheart, protecting your mother, but trust me, no one is going to hurt your mom again. I pinky promise."She smiled, sticking out her pinky. Nova stared at her wearily and confused.

"Whats a pinky promise?"She whispered to Pepper who's smile dropped, realizing how little the pup knows.

"Well, when people my promises they sometimes wrap their pinkies around each others, that means that the promise will never be broken."She explained in the simplest manner she could. The pup beamed, giggling and wrapping her pinky around Peppers.

"I like you."She stated before running back to Bucky in order to climb her way onto the hospital bed and cuddle up next to him.

Bucky was so distracted by the interaction that he'd forgotten to answer Pepper's question, who simply waited for his answer while walking closer to them.

Bucky blinked slowly,"Oh-Yes, he didn't tell me much other than your name."He blushed in embarrassment, the week had been so busy he hadn't even thought about this unknown rehab program the doctors and psychologists had been discussing with him. She smiled and held up a thick manilla folder which she took out of her purse.

"Could I sit here?"She asked slowly, gesturing to the chair that was pulled up next to the bed, he nodded, feeling safe around the Alpha woman.

"Well, the program is run by me but it a sector of Stark Industries Omega Outreach initative, set up by Tony Stark in order to help abused omegas re-adjust to society."She began, Bucky felt like that name sounded familiar, but his old memories were damaged, locked up in a box as a way of coping with his situation. If he didn't think about his old life, he wouldn't miss it so much. He didn't dare to ask about this Tony Stark, even if the name sounded strangely important.

"In a nutshell Omegas are paired with an Alpha of their choosing through pheromone compatibly, you would look through a book filled with vials containing Alpha's pheromones along with a description of said Alpha. You and Nova would pick the scent you feel safest around and we would arrange a meeting between you and the Alpha. The support alpha would be there to coax you out of flashbacks and panic attacks along with lessen you and your daughters anxiety around alpha's in general. They would be with you for as long as you feel necessary."Pepper explained slowly, making sure not to overwhelm the frightened Omega, but it was in vain. Bucky froze, curling around his pup protectively.

_Another Alpha, they could take your pup. They could take you from your family again. They could lock you in a basement and leave you to die. They could.._

"Momma?"

"Bucky are you with us, I'm so sorry I knew it was too soon."

"Mommy please come back!"

Anxious pup pheromones filled his senses, bringing him back to the present.

_It's 2019, he's been saved from him, his name apparently being Brock Rumlow, his captor. His daughter is four years old and sitting in his lap, he's talking about a rehab program with a nice Alpha lady who his daughter trusts._

Pepper was sitting closer to him, holding his hand and coaxing him back. Nova had tears in her eyes which Bucky kissed away and he ran his fingers through her hair.

"I'm sorry baby, mommy spaces out sometimes because he gets stuck up in his head."He explained, giving her a forced smile in attempt to make her feel better. Nova climbed up the bed, tapping her hand on the top of his head.

"Leave my mommy alone!"She demanded, giving Bucky's head a death stare. The omega laughed, he laughed so hard he cried. Bringing his pup down he pulled her into his chest and sobbed against her shoulder.

"My sweet baby, what would I ever do without your light."He smiled, wiping away his tears. Nova shrugged exclaiming how much she loved him and burying her nose into his scent gland. Pepper let them have their moment, a toothless smile on her lips and calming pheromones in the air.

"I understand your fears, but I can promise you that I have met with every one of the Alpha's enrolled in the program. Most are stable veterans who are looking to make the world a better place."The alpha broke her silence, giving him a bright smile in attempt to ease his worries.

"Okay... can I talk it over with Nova and give you an answer tomorrow?"He asked quietly, scared that the Alpha might dislike him taking up her time. Scared she might lash out. That never happened, Pepper simply agreed to give them as much time as they need. She left him with the manilla folder full of information and went on her way. Nova was of course lost in the conversation, not having any idea about what in the world is momma was gonna talk with her about. She looked at him, waiting for him to explain what a "support Alpha" was.

"I know you're young but-"

"No mommy! I'm the smartest, bestest, oldest girl in the world!"She exclaimed defensively, repeating what her mother would say while they were in the dark. Bucky chuckled and agreed with her. He explained that they would smell a whole bunch of Alpha's and the scent they liked best would meet with them. The alpha would live with them and support them ? Whatever that meant. She simply nodded along and pretend to know exactly what mommy was talking about.

"Alpha hurt mommy?"She questioned and her momma's gaze fell, his hand rubbing her back.

"I don't know sweetie, but Mrs.Pepper said that she would make sure no one would hurt me right?"He questioned.

"Yes! She pinky promised which means she can never break it!"She exclaimed, bouncing on her momma's lap, attempting to contain the new energy she acquired from that sweet, melty stuff earlier momma called "ice cream".

"That's right baby, but I don't want to make any decision without your input, so what do you think? Do you want to meet a possible support alpha?"Bucky questioned, he didn't want his daughter to feel overwhelmed with the rapid movements of New York, and an Alpha with calming pheromones might just be exactly what the pair needed.

"Alpha has to promise not to hurt Momma!"She specified, crossing her arms over her chest in an attempt to make herself look bigger. Bucky tickled her sides causing her to immediately break into a fit of giggles, falling against her mother and kicking her feet.

They spent the rest of the day exploring the various wings of the hospital, Bucky in his wheelchair with his pup in his lap. The hospital was extremely diverse, allowing Bucky to teach Nova about different races and cultures. She was extremely inquisitive, questioning almost everything she saw with wide eyes and always getting excited when she learned a new thing or talked to a new person.

When they were in the dark room Bucky thought there was no way that Nova would adjust to outside life, let alone this quickly. She was hungry for knowledge and life; and her mother wanted to make sure they caught up on all the wonderful things the world had to offer.

That night , after getting a crash course on how to use his new Stark phone he shot Pepper a text that they would be ready to pick a possible match the following day. Bucky talked it over with his parents who thought that it was a wonderful idea along with reading every page of information that Pepper had given him. Said pages explained the process along with the risks and rewards. Overall the program seemed extremely successful, with over 95% of participants claiming their support alpha's allowed them to better adjust after their trauma.

What truly worried him was the fact that most Omega's in the program ended up mating their support alpha. He didn't know if he was scared of becoming attached to the alpha and them rejecting him or the alpha wanting to mate. Either way Bucky knew that would mean the Alpha owned him and his child, just like _he_ did. The pamphlet emphasized that the omega chose when the contract was broken and could either mate with the alpha or go on their merry way. Bucky was sure his situation would be the latter.

_Who could love a broken omega with a pup born from rape?_

Considering his options, either moving back in with his parents and having them breathing down his neck every second of the day or moving into an apartment of his own. He realized that a support alpha would be the best middle ground.

—  
Bucky and Nova sat across from Pepper in a room they hadn't seen before. Said room was specifically for scenting, making it a perfect place to go through the scent book. The omega's leg bounced anxiously.

_What if he didn't find a match?_

_What if the alpha backed out after learning of Nova?_

Pepper thankfully started explaining the process, breaking him out of his overthinking daze. "There are over five hundred scents in this book, but we have two thousand in our data base. So you shouldn't have a problem finding a compatible scent.

For what felt like hours Bucky and Nova took turns putting their noses near tiny vials and breathing in various alpha scents. Some scents made him anxious, others just didn't seem right. Bucky began getting worried as the neared the end of the book, he didn't want to have to do this for over two thousand vials and still not find a match.

Pepper handed them the next vial, showing no expression as she cannot have a bias against the alpha's, it was completely based on Bucky and Nova's decision.

Popping open the vial Bucky encountered a strong scent of pine trees, with hints of the ocean on a stormy night. He felt himself wanting to keep the scent all to himself, smell it for the rest of his life. Nova made grabby hands, noticing the change is his mother's reaction towards this certain vial.

Nova purred at first wiff, wanting to nuzzle against the small vial and take a nice nap. Bucky smiled at her reaction along with Pepper, who carefully took the vial out of her hands and extracting the information about said alpha.

Bucky watched as her eyes widened before returning to normal and smiling at him. "It seems like that one is a winner."She stated and the mother and daughter duo nodded, already calm from the scent.

"You seemed surprised, do you know the alpha?"Bucky questioned, genuinely curious about Pepper's off reaction to their choice.

"Oh-yes, Mr.Stark is a close friend of the Alpha, I have met him many times and trust him with my life."She explained. This gave Bucky even more hope, Pepper had promised not to let someone hurt him, and he trusted her judgement.

"When can we meet Mr.Alpha?"Nova began her question spree, bouncing in her chair from the excitement. She was so used to an Alpha scent meaning abuse and fear, now she has a chance to create new, more positive connotations towards alpha's.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um so yeah 3 chapters in one day wow I’m on a roll, once summer comes along I’ll definitely be updating within a schedule! Also if you see any mistakes in grammar/punctuation don’t be afraid to call me out! 
> 
> \- ALSO: whenever “the darkness” is mentioned they’re referring to the underground chamber Nova and Bucky are held captive.

The punching bag swung as the ex-soldier slammed another punch against it. Sweat was now dripping onto the floor, leaving it slippery, but the alpha didn't care. His lack of boxing gloves caused the repeated punches against the bag to split the skin, the once blue punching bag now littered with red splatters. Again, the Alpha didn't care, all he saw were images of his time on the front lines. He saw his best friend dying from a gunshot wound to the chest, he felt his heart beating out of his chest just as it had while he killed enemy soldiers, no care for whether or not they had families, just as the opposite side didn't care when they killed his commander.

 

"Always one for dramatics, Cap."Tony greeted, barging into Steve's home gym as if he owned the place. After coming back from the front lines as a captain, Tony trusted him to run various affairs while SHEILD was still up and running. The billionaire omega being far too busy with his own projects to run a high scale military operation. Steve had grown tired of moving from place to place, he needed some stability, a place to call home. This eventually led to his decision to finally retire from the military and focus on his passions of art and giving back to the community.

 

Steve stabilized the punching bag before stepping back from it, finally noticing the blood coating his knuckles and shrugging it off. Tony was as sharply dressed as ever, a custom made suit and Gucci sunglasses being his regular outfit. Steve considered telling him off for breaking into his house, but it was hopeless.

 

"What do you want, Tony?"The alpha asked, gulping down some water before unwrapping the athletic tape on his fingers and searching nearby cabinets for some bandages. Tony smirked, taking off his glasses and tucking them in his front pocket before casually leaning against the counter while Steve wrapped up his knuckles.

 

"Pepper told me to tell you that an omega enrolled in the Support Alpha Program has chosen your scent and wants to meet as soon as possible."Tony stated casually, opening up the mini fridge only to find water bottles and protein shakes. He rolled his eyes and slammed the tiny door shut. Steve was shocked, he had enrolled in the program shortly after deciding to retire. He hadn't expected for an omega to pick him as compatible so soon. Tony reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and handed over a small folder, containing information on the omega.

 

"You know them?"Steve guessed, knowing Tony wouldn't hand deliver a message if he wasn't personally involved. A sad look spread on the omegas face, longing.

 

"He was a classmate of mine, disappeared when we were teenagers, I highly doubt he remembers me given what he's been through."He explained, motioning to the folder and pushing himself off the counter.

 

"Well I've got to run, but call Pepper to set up the meeting and Steve..."Tony waited for the alpha to turn to him.

 

"Take care of him."He warned, giving him a death stare before exiting the home gym. Steve nodded, opening up the folder and beginning to read through its contents.

 

**James Buchannan Barnes (23)**

**Nova Barnes (4)**

 

_James(Bucky) Barnes was kidnapped and held captive in a hidden backyard chamber, only found because of the small skylight. Captor Brock Rumlow repeatedly raped and abused the captive, eventually leading to the birth of his daughter, Nova , while in captivity. James was found malnourished and on the brink of death on July, 23rd, 2019. Seven years after he was kidnapped..._

 

Steve couldn't stop the tears that threatened to spill after he completed reading the brief. The alpha couldn't comprehend the terror the poor omega and his child must have experienced. He couldn't image the state the two must be in, thrown into one of the busiest city in the world after living underground for seven years.

 

The alpha cried himself to sleep that night, he cried for the fate of humanity after the despicable acts the brief described, he cried for that poor child who only knew abuse and darkness, he also cried for the omega, terrorized for so many years but forced to remain strong for the sake of his child.

 

It was then that Steve called Pepper and set up a meeting with them for the very next morning. He was determined to show the small family of two that the world may be big, but it is full of opportunities to heal and find their peace.

 

—

The room Pepper had chosen was neutral ground, it had a few couches and a beautiful view of the city. Bucky was a bit nauseous from seeing how night up they were in comparison from being held apparently underground for seven years .

 

Bucky was shaking, terrified to meet his possible support alpha for the first time. He feared the alpha would be repulsed by his pale and sick complexion, rejecting them on the spot. He felt tiny hands in his hair and a warm kiss pressed by tiny lips against his cheek.

 

"It's okay, Momma."His pup comforted, stroking his hair and giving her mum a smile. Bucky's heart melted and ached, a four year old shouldn't have to comfort their mother. He felt useless, his four year old is more stable than him.

 

"Thank you, sweet girl."He forced a smile, kissing her cheek in return. He heard the door open and the clicking of Pepper's heels announcing their entrance. The omega immediately breathed in the wonderful scent of pine trees and ocean waves that he had picked out days before. The man-Alpha waking behind Pepper was massive. Broad shoulders covered by a maroon sweater that didn't leave much to the imagination. The alpha was tall, significantly taller than Bucky. He had a military style haircut, perfect blonde locks that were styled in a hurry and a freshly shaven handsome face; which was adorned by a pair of baby blue eyes.

 

Bucky bit his lip, not expecting himself to ever be attracted to an Alpha again but this man... well he was one hell of a sight.

 

"Bucky, Nova, meet Captain Steve Rogers."She introduced them, allowing Steve to step closer to the bundled up pair sitting in the comfy chair across from him.

 

Nova, her momma's _brave_ girl, climbed off his lap and went to survey the alpha. She stepped right up to him and looked him in the eyes with seemingly no fear, but everyone could see her hands were shaking.

 

"Y-You promise not to hurt my mommy?"She asked quietly, losing a bit of her confidence having an unknown alpha so close. Bucky's eyes widened, expecting his daughter to hide in fear given her horrid experience with Alpha's. His heart bursted with pride, he raised a strong one.

 

The alpha crouched down, still significantly taller than the small pup. He gave her a sad smile and held out his pinky, Pepper had mentioned Nova's commitment to pinky promises.

 

"I will never let anyone lay a hurtful hand on you or your momma again."Steve spoke quietly; fearing the pup would run and hide behind her mother. She looked at his pinky wearily, deciding whether or not to trust him.

 

 _He smells good and he has pretty eyes_ , the little one decided. She entwined her tiny pinky with his large one, giving him a death stare and huffing before running back to whisper into her mother's ear. Bucky leaned down so she could reach him while standing beside the chair.

 

"I like him."She stated simply, giving her mom a smile. Bucky returned her smile and lifted her onto his lap and scenting her in order to calm himself down. The alpha hadn't given any indication that he was repulsed by Bucky's appearance, nor did he look at him with sad eyes as many did. The alpha gave Bucky a small smile and watched the interaction between pup and mother with kind eyes. After setting down his pup to stand on her own, he carefully approached the alpha, not daring to have any contact with him, not yet.

 

"I'm Bucky, this is Nova, it-it's nice to meet you Alpha."He bowed his head in respect, as _he_ had conditioned him to whenever he entered the darkness. The alpha respected his space, making no move to step closer.

 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, and please, call me Steve."The alpha smiled reassuringly, knowing the trauma the omega had endured, it might take months before he builds the confidence to drop the "Alpha" formality that he'd been brainwashed to follow. Pepper watched the interaction from a far, a happy smile on her face.

 

—

Steve stopped by daily as Bucky regained his health. Always wearing a bright smile and a backpack, reminding Bucky of a schoolboy even though he learned the Alpha was twenty-nine years old.

 

The first time Steve visited them he brought all kinds of art supplies after learning that Nova hadn’t drawn with anything other than a blunt tiny pencil and the concrete walls of the darkness. Nova cried when she learned that it was all for her to use, clutching the packs of markers and colored pencils to her chest. Steve helped her tape up her art all over the room, she drew what she saw, not in accurate colors of course.

 

On the large window hung her versions of the city below, purple clouds with oversized pink cars. She drew pictures of the kids show characters on the magic window, Dora and Boots, all the Paw Patrol characters.

 

One day he brought a small speaker, playing music that had been popular while Bucky was in the darkness. Bucky listened happily, hoping to get back to his love of music. So far he loved the new wave of indie artists such as Mac Demarco and Nilüfer Yanya. He also enjoyed artists like Twenty-One Pilots and Lady Gaga’s new music.

 

Nova danced around the room for hours on end, when it got dark she would slip on her new light up sketchers and jump around so the room lit up with bright colors of pink and blue. Steve and Bucky just watched along, proud smiles on their faces.

 

They had been in the hospital for a month before the doctors decided that Bucky’s feeding tube could be removed, they slowly introduced soft foods and liquids into his diet, now getting all his nutrients orally. The morning after he’d gotten that cursed tube out Steve came in at his regular time.

 

“Stevie!”Nova cried, jumping off the hospital bed and running to hug the Alpha’s legs. Steve froze up, it was the first time Nova hugged him-well what she could reach of him. Bucky froze as well, scared of the Alpha’s reaction. The omega was surprised to see Steve’s blue eyes glaze over with what appeared to be tears before he blinked them away.

 

“How’s my favorite puppy?”Steve smiled, getting no reply and instead crouching down to her height. Nova released his knees are wrapped her tiny arms around his neck instead, instantly nuzzling her nose into his scent gland. She started purring, falling limp in his arms.

 

Deciding that it would not be best for her to fall asleep standing he looked at Bucky for permission who was watching them extremely closely; the omega slowly nodded, biting his lip anxiously.

 

Steve slowly picked up the pup, walking over to the couch built into the thick window. The pup whined at the movement but otherwise continued to hide her face in his neck. After a few minutes her breathing slowed and her head lolled against his shoulder, sleeping soundly. The alpha carefully untangled her limbs from around him and laid her down so her head was resting on the handmade pillow which was conveniently on the couch before tucking her in with a strawberry shortcakes blanket.

 

He took one last glance at her before stepping towards the omega, who was wearing a bright smile that Steve had yet to see. The alpha took notice of the missing feeding tube which had obscured the omega’s face and judging by his tendency to hide it, made him extremely self conscious. He could see his full face now, gorgeous stormy blue eyes which seemed hollow by the dark bags under them. Steve noticed they matched Nova’s. Wavy brown hair which reached his shoulders. He had crinkles by his eyes as he smiled at his daughter and Steve swore he had never seen an omega so beautiful in his life. Bucky turned to Steve, a few tears steamed down his face.

 

“We haven’t slept in days, the nightmares won’t go away.”He explained, looking down at his frail hands sadly. Steve swallowed the bubbling emotions to focus on the job he had to do, to support the omega.

 

“I-If you want, and only if you want, you could scent me, it might help you sleep.”Steve offered, searching for any signs ofpanic on Bucky’s face.

 

The omega took a glance at his daughter, sleeping calmly under a picture she’d colored of the night sky filled with dozens of stars and a pink crescent moon. He turned back toward Steve.

 

_Nova trusts him... maybe I should too?_

 

This was a pivotal point in the start of Bucky’s recovery from the trauma he had against Alpha males, but with all the improvement Nova was showing, he decided he needed to catch up. Slowly, he nodded, scooting over in the large hospital bed (they had given them the widest one so he and Nova could sleep together). He patted the spot next to him and Steve gave him a supportive smile before occupying the space.

 

Bucky could feel the warmth radiating off of him, in comparison to his seemingly never ending cold state. His scent wrapped around him like a warm blanket and made his mind all fuzzy. Tentatively, Bucky scooter closer to the Alpha, letting their shoulders brush. The omega felt his eyes struggling to stay open and his cloudy state worsening in the best possible way.

 

_Alpha’s here to help_

 

_Alpha won’t hurt you_

 

Before he could stop himself, Bucky’s hindbrain took action and the omega found himself now straddling Steve’s lap with his nose buried in his scent gland.

 

_Laying in a cloud under fragrant pine trees near the ocean._

 

Logically he knew there was no such place; but yet there he was, _the ocean breeze tickled his skin and invaded his senses, washing him deeper out to sea._

 

—

Bucky woke up a few hours later, finding himself still tucked into the crook of the alpha’s neck. He noticed that Steve had apparently fallen asleep as well, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. He omega slowly climbed out of his lap to check on his pup, at some point she must have grabbed the teddy bear her auntie Becca had brought for her as she was now drooling all over it but otherwise sleeping peacefully.

 

The absence of weight on his lap woke Steve up, longing for the omega’s scent. He blinked to clear his vision and embarrassing noted that he had fallen asleep with Bucky in his arms. Bucky, who was now moving the hair out of his daughters face and bending down to give her a kiss.

 

The alpha stood from the bed, the movement drawing Bucky’s eyes away from his pup. Steve smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“I should get going, sorry about-“Steve was about to apologize for falling asleep on the job before Bucky cut him off.

 

“Don’t worry about it.”He smiled before realizing what he’d done.

 

_He cut off Alpha_

 

_He disrespected Alpha’s authority_

 

_Alpha will be angry_

 

_Alpha will-_

 

“Buck, Bucky.”Steve whispered, his hands on the omega’s shoulders. The moment Bucky came back to his senses he scrambled away from the Alpha and tucked himself into a ball in a corner.

 

“I’m so sorry Alpha, I’m a bad omega, please don’t hurt me Alpha, please don’t hurt my puppy Alpha, please please..”Bucky begged, rocking back and fourth in panic about what he’d done.

 

“Hey, hey it’s okay sweetheart, I’m not going to hurt you or your puppy I’m here to help you.”Steve assured, sitting across from Bucky on the floor but making sure not to touch the panic stricken omega. Slowly, he lifted his face his bottom lip trembling and eyes showing confusion.

 

“Y-You’re not? But I disrespected you Alpha. I interrupted you Alpha. I’m a bad omega.”Bucky whined mournfully, trembling in fear. Steve sighed and stayed silent for a couple moments, gathering his thoughts.

 

“Bucky you’re not a bad omega, you haven’t disrespected me, I need you to focus on me okay sweetheart. I’m Steve, your Support Alpha, I will never hurt you.”He promised, slowly holding out his hand to the omega. Bucky trembled in fear but accepted, slowly falling into the alpha’s arms and breathing in his foresty scent.

 

_It’s 2019_

 

_He’s not in the dark_

 

_Steve is here to help you_

 

They stayed that way for a while, Steve coaxing the omega through various breathing exercises to calm his heart rate before helping him get both Nova and himself in bed. The alpha strapped on his backpack, getting ready to leave before he came to the side of Bucky’s bed and kneeled down to show he is no threat.

 

“If you need anything, anything Buck, you have my number.”Steve smiles reassuringly. Nova whined softly, nuzzling further into her mother’s chest. Bucky forced a smile and mouthed “thank you,” before turning his attention back to his pup who was finally getting her much needed rest.

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

Slowly but surely, things started to look up for Bucky and Nova. Nova was now acceptable weight for a girl her age, no longer severely underweight. She had developed wonderful bright red cheeks that her momma loved to squeeze and kiss. Bucky was starting to eat solid food, and keep it down. His change in diet strengthened his weak bones and muscles along with a physical therapy regimen. They cleared him to finally walk longer distances without being confined to the wheelchair, allowing him to take Nova outdoors to the playground the hospital had on grounds.

 

The pup spent hours swinging, sliding, and climbing all over the equipment while her mother enjoyed laying in the grass and simply soaking up the sun he had been denied of for much too long; although this was often interrupted by his need to consistently check in his daughter, terrified that someone might steal her away as they had done with him.

 

Bucky had many anxieties about his new life. Knowing that soon they would be leaving the hospital and moving in with Steve in order for him to help them adjust to normal life.

 

_Would Brock come looking for them? Would he send his friends after them?_

 

_What if Steve decides that he can't keep up his end of the bargain and throws them on the street?_

 

_What if Steve gets angry?_

 

_What if Steve hurts his puppy?_

 

A voice calling him snaps him out of his illogical thoughts, specifically his puppy yelling at Bucky to once again push her on the swing because her little legs can't reach the ground. The omega smiles and goes over to Nova, pushing her swing and watching as the higher she gets, the louder and more joyful her giggles are. She's releasing happy pup pheromones, which Bucky brightfully notes had been happening more often.

 

"Alright hold on tight, we're gonna do an under-dog."He smiled and Nova just looked at him, confused, as she continued to swing. She obeyed none the less, tightening her grip on the plastic ropes. Bucky pulled back and pushed her forward as he ran underneath the swing. Nova cried with joy, giggling all the way back down.

 

"Again!"

—

 

"No!" Nova screamed once again as Steve removed her art from the window, which was now over 50% covered with various pieces of colored papers, all of which meant the world to the pup. The alpha sighed, sitting on the edge of the couch and guiding nova to stand in front of him. The little girl remained with her arms crossed, lip wobbling and brows furrowed. It was adorable when she tried to look scary.

 

"Nova, I promise you can hang up as much art as you want on the windows at my house, you can cover every wall from top to bottom if that makes you happy."Steve attempted to console the pup. No matter how many times they tried to explain to Nova that their stay at the hospital wasn't permanent, she simply couldn't wrap her head around the idea of moving.

 

His parents loved Steve, although his dad gave him death stares the first few times they met. It was after seeing how much Nova trusted Steve that his dad started to come around, always greeting him with a pat on the back and a smile. Winifred had brought suitcases, multiple large black ones that the Bucky remembered they would always use when going on family vacations to the lake house. For Nova, his mom had brought Bucky's old power rangers hard case he used until he was twelve years old.

 

He excused himself to the bathroom and cried pitifully over his lost youth, stolen by _him_. spraying himself with scent neutralizer provided by the hospital so he wouldn't worry his family.

 

They worked as a team to pack their belongings into the Steve's large Jeep; or more accurately, Bucky and Nova watched as Steve and his father insisted to carry all the cases because Bucky was "still healing."

 

_He was tired of feeling weak useless, a feeling amplified during his seven years in the darkness_

 

_It hurt being treated like the traumatized omega he was_

 

_Bucky knew he could become so much more_

 

Bucky's parents lived on the opposite side of the city, leading to a tearful goodbye filled with lots of hugs and kisses. After Nova gave her grandma one last hug Steve helped her into her car seat, strapping her in and triple checking that she was secure. Nova simply smiled and booped his nose, Steve pretended to bite her finger making her giggle in glee.

 

With one last wave Bucky climbed into the passengers seat, buckling his seatbelt before Steve even entered the car. The alpha jogged to the drivers side, flashing Bucky a smile as he buckled his own seatbelt.

 

"Ready?"Steve asked, turning back to check on a Nova who was practically vibrating with excitement. Bucky gave him a small smile and nodded.

 

The pup was completely silent during the car ride, far too focused on the bright lights, billboards, and crowds of people on the street. Bucky watched fondly as his daughter had her first taste of true freedom. The Alpha's house was about thirty minutes from the city, in an easy going suburb. They pulled up to a large blue house, an antique. Bucky was starting to learn more about his support alpha, his love for50s music, and art.

 

_He had a bright old soul_

 

Bucky carried his pup on his hip, following Steve through the front door. The house had dark wooden floors, with an open floor plan. Pieces of arts and various photos hung on the cream colored walls. Steve gave them the grand tour, leading them through the living room to the quaint kitchen. Bucky had loved to cook with his mother as a pup, he yearned to get back into the kitchen to teach his own daughter. 

 

Steve had an expansive home gym set up in the basement, seemingly out of place compared to the rest of the house. Bucky made Nova promise not to enter the basement alone, wanting to keep her away from the heavy weights and equipment that could lead to her getting hurt.

 

The second floor had four rooms, behind the first door a well lit art studio. Nova immediately ran inside, her eyes wide like saucers, Bucky had a similar reaction.

 

 _Steve's art was magnificent_

 

Each piece was intricately detailed, meaning behind each stroke of a brush or pencil. There were blank canvases leaning on the far wall, buckets filled with paints and pencils. A desk for sketching, and a large easel covered in different colors of paint. A smaller, brand new easel stood out like a sore thumb in the colorful room.  Steve noticed the omega looking at it, so he cleared his throat and led Nova towards it.

 

"I thought you would like to learn how to paint."He explained as Nova ran her tiny fingers over the white wooden frame.

 

"For me?"She whispered, pointing to herself. Steve nodded and Nova immediately started crying, overwhelmed with the whole situation. Since Steve was already crouching down, she ran into his arms and hugged him as hard as she could.

 

"Oh, sweetheart."Steve smiled warmly, standing with her in his arms making her let out a giggle. She pulled away from his neck and simply stared at him before turning to her mother.

 

"I'm the tallest girl in the world!"She squealed,  bright smile on her face as she looked at the ground below her. Both adults laughed and nodded along.

 

They continued with the tour, showing Bucky to his and Nova's room. There was a queen bed along with a vanity and a dresser. It wasn't decorated, just bare minimum.

 

"I wanted to make sure you could decorate your space however you want, we can paint the walls and go shopping for decorations."He smiled. Bucky noted the small bed frame leaning against the far wall as Steve explained that over time Nova can choose to sleep in her own bed, eventually moving into her own room once they progress to that point.

 

Bucky was thankful that the program emphasized that _he_ was in control of all the decisions. He could pack up and leave if he wanted to. It gave him the control he had longed for, type that he'd prayed for while in the darkness.

 

Steve gave Bucky a chance to unpack and went to make dinner, leaving him to soak in the different environment. The omega put away the clothes his mom had bought for him, along with Nova's in the smaller dresser that was placed in the closet. Nova unpacked her toys and stuffed animals, setting them up neatly on the windowsill and tucking her stuffies into bed.

 

The pup taped up her art all over the room, including the doors and windows. The once empty walls were now filled with bright colors and messy interpretations of animals, trees and the flowers Nova always stopped to smell in the hospital lobby.

 

The house was soon filled with the smell of Italian food, most likely pasta. They made their way to the kitchen, hand in hand. The sky had darkened significantly, clock now reading half past six. Steve was stirring a pot of tomato sauce, wearing a cheesy chef’s hat and giving him a smile. This caused Bucky to release a breathy laugh, butterflies erupting in his stomach which he brushed off as hunger.

 

They ate spaghetti and meatballs on the back porch where an outdoor dining table was set up. The backyard was massive to say the least, a small patch of vegetables nearest to the patio with flowers surrounding the boarders. Bucky complimented the alpha’s gardening skills, noting the blush that spread down the seemingly outgoing man. The omega simply ducked his head down and helped Nova cut up a meatball in order to hide his own red cheeks.

 

After dinner was finished they watched Nova run around the backyard for a while, Bucky then noticing the dog house situated in the back left corner of the yard.

 

“So you have a dog?”Bucky asked, eyes glimmering with hope. The Barnes family were animal lovers, their home always filled with dogs, cats, lizards and even a snake at one point. When his mom told him that Bella, the family dog had died while he was in captivity, he had to excuse himself to cry in the shower over his long lost best friend. He yearned for a connection to a new animal.

 

“Oh, yeah, the doctors suggested that we wait until you and Nova’s immune systems strengthen before exposing you to any animals.”He explained, Bucky waited for him to talk about said dog, making Steve smile and eagerly begin gushing over his Husky. Her name is Luna, and she’s three years old. He went on to explain her training as a therapy dog and how she’s staying with Steve’s friend Sam, who Bucky had learned was the police officer who had originally found them.

 

Nova soon tired out, simply laying on the grass and looking up at the stars. Searching out shapes she could imagine out of the tiny white dots of light and giggling when she swore that a portion of the sky looked like a shoe.

 

Nova climbed on her mom’s lap and whined to be cuddled, a sign that it was time for her to go to bed. Although Bucky himself wasn’t too tired, he decided to join her. Saying their good nights to Steve before heading up to their shared bedroom. The pup rolled all over the bed, spreading her scent so it wouldn’t smell so sterile, making it her mother do the same, just like he would with their makeshift towel nests in the darkness.

 

Bucky fell asleep with his pup in his arms, the smell of pine needles and ocean waves surrounding him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shortie but a goody

_The darkness surrounded him, his captor had covered the tiny skylight as punishment for his attempted escape. He felt around for his bucket of water, finally reaching it and bending down to cup his hands as a makeshift cup and drink._

_He went back to his rotten nest, made out of toilet paper and his old clothes he had grown out of. Inside of a tiny makeshift crib made out of a cardboard box and a single blanket slept his newborn pup. He held her close to his chest for hours, managing to feed her the small amount of milk he produced before burping her and going back to cuddling._

_She fussed in his arms, crying out as he felt her tiny hands slap against his chest. He cried with her, sobbing because he couldn't calm her down, her cried living his ears ringing._

_"Bucky?"_

 

The omega was ripped from his dream into a brightly lit bedroom. He kept his eyes closed as he always did when _he_ was in the room, he smelled alpha.

 

His body landed hard on the wooden floor as he scrambled to get away.Knees scraping against the hardwood floors as he bolted up and into the bathroom.Slamming the door behind him, Bucky crawled into the corner; curling himself into as tight of a ball as he could. Two sets of footsteps, one lighter much lighter than the other, neared the white door.

 

_Had he brought a friend?_

_Will he kill him if he refuses?_

 

“Momma?”

 

Bucky sobbed, gripping onto the counter above him in order to ease himself up on shaky legs. He slowly made his way to the door, having a hard time turning the knob to open it because of how hard his hands were trembling.

 

Once he got it open he saw his pup’s bright blue eyes filled with tears as she gripped on tightly to an alpha’s sweatpants. The omega dropped to his knees and pulled his pup into his arms. It was then that he realized he’d had another episode, as he breathed in his pup’s scent he repeated the mantra his therapist had taught him.

 

_It’s 2019_

_You’re safe_

_Your pup is safe_

_He can’t hurt you_

 

The ~~alpha~~ Steve had moved to sit on the bed, letting them have their space. Nova calmed down faster than he did, only having started crying when she smelled her mom’s distressed scent.

 

“I-I woke up and you were crying and I couldn’t get you to wake up so I asked Stevie to help.”She explained, looking down.

 

_I made it worse for momma_

 

Bucky could tell she felt bad because she was the one who had brought Steve into the room, causing him to panic. He simply kissed her forehead and pulled her away from his neck so he could look at her. Her tears were gone but the sad eyes remained.

 

“You did the right thing sweetheart, i’m sorry you had to see me like that.”He apologized, kissing Nova all over the face in order to make her laugh. She smiled and hugged him hard, whispering an _I love you_.

 

Nova excused herself to the bathroom, Bucky of course asking if she needed any help but she insisted she could do it herself, her eyes motioning to Steve the entire time before scurrying off to the bathroom.

 

The omega turned to Steve, keeping his eyes low and head bowed. He slowly sat on the edge of the bed, a far distance from the alpha.

 

“I’m sorry.”Is all he could think to say, there were many things he was sorry for running through his mind.

 

I _’m sorry for waking you_

_I’m sorry for being weak_

_I’m sorry for picking your scent_

_I’m sorry for-_

 

“You have nothing to apologize for,Buck.”

 

Bucky glanced up at him, the alpha’s warm blue eyes conveying sincerity. He swallowed hard, scooting closer to Steve until they had only an arms length separating them.

 

“Could I... you know..?”The omega blushed, embarrassed for needing his scent to truly calm down enough for the anxiety in his chest to lessen in pain.

 

Steve smiled, “you don’t have to ask.”

 

Nova found the adults whispering quietly to each other as her mom tucked his nose into Steve’s neck, just as she does.

 

 _Momma says I need some extra help sometimes, momma needs help too_.

 

The pup smiled at the fact that the room was no longer filled with the scent of her mother’s fear. Bucky had begun to doze off against the alpha’s chest, missing the kiss Nova planted on his cheek before she passed out beside them. Steve held the omega until the sun rose, not getting a wink of sleep as he was far to distracted with the fact that Bucky looked far too beautiful when he slept to be legal.

 

The alpha noted how he released little whines when he wiggled around to a more comfortable position before letting out a content sigh. And his subconscious attraction towards the alpha’s scent glad in his sleep, Bucky’s cold nose against his neck always sending a spike of energy down his spine.

 

Deciding not to overwhelm the omega, he slowly removed himself from the bed. This caused Bucky to whine sadly and reveal sleepy eyes that shone beautifully in the morning light.

 

“Where ya’ goin’?”He frowned, not even caring if he sounded desperate. He wanted to go back to sleep with the _sea and pine trees_ surrounding him, along with strong arms keeping him grounded.

 

Steve hadn’t expected for Bucky to actually _want_ him to be in his nest, but with the death stare the omega was giving him, which was both threatening and endearing, it was impossible to resist. The omega had already gotten under the sheets, patting the spot next to him.

 

Steve climbed in, the omega immediately climbing on top of him and scenting him. The alpha chuckled, attempting to cover up the satisfied rumble in his chest which happened when his primal alpha was extremely content. Bucky hadn’t seemed to miss it, his own primal instincts causing him to purr in reply.

 

“Thank you, Steve.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again if y’all ever wanna reach me or have any input my Twitter is @fearybarnes
> 
> Here u go! Let me know if u ever find any continuation/grammar errors, I’m only human :)

The chair he was sitting on seemed far too soft, feeling as if he could sink right to the floor. He glanced up, his therapist simply sitting there and waiting for a reply to a question he had tuned out. The loose threads of his ripped jeans suddenly seemed far more interesting than talking about his feelings. He heard Natasha sigh as she adjusted her dress and repeated her question.

 

"How are you, Bucky?"

 

_It was a simple question, one he could simply reply with a smile and a "Fine, thanks."_

 

_Natasha is far too smart to fall for his tricks_

 

He swallowed sharply, feeling as if he had swallowed a pin from the stinging of his dry throat. "I freaked out a few nights ago."He stated simply, shrugging and avoiding eye contact with the redhead. She sighed and wrote something down on her notepad.

 

"You mean you had a flashback."She corrected, her usually cold eyes melting into genuine care. 

 

"What do you think triggered it?"

 

_Dream.Puppy.Alpha_

 

"Oh, um, I had a nightmare, a flashback of its own I guess. I woke up because someone had said my name, _he_ never called my Bucky."He sighed, tears already springing to his eyes but simply wiped them away and continued.

 

"It was Steve, but I didn't open my eyes, so I only smelled an Alpha. I freaked out in front of Nova."The omega felt defeated, making his pup see him like that, the only parental figure she's ever had being an absolute mess. He sobbed into his hands, the strands of hair hanging over his face getting soaked in tears.

 

"Hey, you're still healing and Nova knows that, she's a smart pup."Natasha smiled, handing him a box of tissues. He thanked her, trying to get himself together.

 

"Were you able to allow Steve to help you?"She asked, Bucky sighed with a bit of a blush that Natasha smirked at.

 

"Um-yeah- I scented him for a while."He bit his lip, hoping for her to accept that as an answer. He meets with Natasha twice a week, has been doing so for the past three months. After being in the darkness for so long, he trusted Natasha with everything as his therapists, but also his friends. She'd invited him out for lunches before, he'd expected it to be a form of exposure therapy but he'd had so much fun with her that he barely noticed other people.

 

It's sort of a bonus that his first friend after the darkness was also his therapist; who he learned happened to be the baddest bitch on the planet.  

 

Natasha gave him _that_ look, the one she always gives to him what she knows he's lying. It was hard to resist telling the truth, if looks could kill, Natasha would be an assassin.

 

"How long?"She raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow, smirking. The omega's blush had spread all the way to the bottom of his neck.

 

 _I must look like a perfectly ripe tomato right now_.

 

"Maybe like all night and then some."He whispered, unable to hide the small smile that had spread on lips at the mention of his support alpha. A joking remark was never heard from Natasha, leaving Bucky surprised at the smile she was giving him.

 

"I'm very proud of you Buck, I'm glad you're trusting Steve to help you out. It doesn't make you weak to need some extra help, everyone needs it sometimes. You have been through hell my friend. You deserve to feel happy." 

——

 

 

Bucky thought about what Natasha said the entire ride home, _should he let himself trust Steve completely?_ The alpha didn't attempt to make conversation, having personally been in therapy for his PTSD from the war. He knew how it felt for all your feelings to come bubbling up to the surface, threatening to spill over.

 

When they arrived, Nova was still with her teacher. One morning a sharply dressed woman came to the door introducing herself as Maria Hill, a teacher/psychologist who had been personally assigned by "Mr.Stark himself" to work with the pup. Steve had personal connections with Stark, assuring Bucky that they could trust Maria. Over weeks they built up a trust, allowing himself to leave the house knowing Nova is protected.

 

He greeted the pair, deciding to leave them to their own devices as Maria was teaching Nova all the colors. He headed upstairs, yearning for his nest. The omega prepares his nest, neatly arranging the pillows and blankets to make it perfect. Eventually, he settled down but only for a few minutes; something was missing.

 

Although his door was closed, he could sense Steve was walking past his door. This caused Bucky to get dizzy with his calming scent, knowing it was what was missing from his nest. 

 

_You have been through hell my friend_

_You deserve to feel happy_

 

Throwing caution out the window for a second time, Bucky calmly exited his nest to tiptoe over to the door and open it. Steve was walking to his room at the end of the hallway, another knitted sweater making an appearance.

 

He took a few deep breaths before making his way down the hallway himself, slowly peeking into Steve's room. Bucky's heart stopped at the sight of Steve pulling his sweater over his head, all big muscled glory under the innocent demeanor. As quickly as he'd taken off the sweater, a looser t-shirt replaced it, he started rummaging through his drawer and Bucky took that as a perfect time to walk in.

 

The omega knocked a few times the door in order to get the Alpha's attention; which he was immediately granted. The alpha's eyes flashed an unrecognizable emotion before softening up, making Steve look extra harmless.

 

"Everything alright, Buck?"He asked, stepping closer to the omega, close enough to smell the sweet lavender scent. Bucky stuttered, the overwhelming scent throwing him off guard.

 

"I-I'm feeling quite anxious and was wondering if you would join me in the nest I built."He smiled, wanting to tack on a _for you, Alpha._ But knowing Steve would get uncomfortable.

 

He felt the Alpha's large hand slide down his arm before reaching his own and entwining their fingers before flashing him an award winning smile. He let Bucky lead them to his nest, slowly closing the door behind him.

 

The omega looked at his sock covered feet, waiting for the Alpha's opinion on his nest; internally he knew he shouldn't care, but years of brain washing don't go away in a few months.

 

Steve noticed that Bucky waa waiting, deciding to appeal to his inner omega in order to lower his anxiety. "It's beautiful, Omega."He smiled, waiting for Bucky's reaction. Thankfully he didn't freeze up, simply blushed and tugged Steve into the nest with him.

 

The alpha laughed brightly and fell down next to him, allowing Bucky to climb in his arms and muzzle into his scent gland. He could feel the omega's breath on his skin, causing goosebumps to rise, his cold nose nuzzled further, letting out a content purr.

 

They usually didn't talk much while scenting, but Bucky surprised him by removing his face from the crook of his neck and sitting up in his lap. The omega's eyes were calm, blue waves in shallow water, his hair was also messy sticking up in all directions which led Steve to run his hand through Bucky's shoulder length locks.

 

"I feel safe with you."Bucky blurted out, eyes now widened and curious for Steve's response. The alpha was taken aback but felt a warm feeling spreading in his chest.

 

 _Omega feels safe_

 

"I'm very happy you feel that way."He replied simply, smiling and getting a bright smile in return. Bucky's smiles were few and far between but when they appeared, the room lit up. Steve swallowed, knowing his job was to calm the omega, but it might as well be a two way street.

 

"Do you mind-um-if..."Steve trailed on, watching Bucky bite his lower lip to hold back a giggle at the blush that was spreading over the Alpha's cheeks.

 

"Could I scent you?"He blurted out, similar in the way Bucky had blurred out his statement earlier. The omega's smile widened and he nodded, immediately baring his neck for the alpha.

 

The thought of an his support alpha wanting _his scent_ made him feel butterflies. He'd always thought alpha's wouldn't want to scent him, because it was a sign of weakness, but Steve was sharing that weakness with him.

 

 _Yeah maybe he felt a little special_.

 

They ended up with Steve's nose in the crook of his neck as he ran his hand through his short golden locks. The alpha's arms tightened around his waist, breathing him in deeply with a rumbling in his chest.

 

Steve wasn't perfect, during their various scenting sessions he'd learned more and more about his past. His single mom died when he was young, leaving him no other option than to join the army, resulting in his severe PTSD that he'd worked on for the past eight years.

 

It was comforting that his support alpha could _understand_ what he was going through, that he also needs a little extra help too. He'd woken up in the middle of the night various times from nightmares, going downstairs to get a drink of water only to hear Steve demolishing a punching bag downstairs.

 

_Lost in his own pain._

 

It had become a regular thing after he first scented Steve, waking from his nightmares and instead of going to the kitchen and trying to decipher his jumbled thoughts on his own, he'd head to the basement.

 

He always moved Steve away from the bag, and bandaged the alpha's hands, no questions asked. Bucky realized then that he reason he'd mentally survived the darkness was because he had Nova to take care of. He yarned to care for others, in order to then care for himself.

 

Bucky would get them both water from the mini fridge and sit on the padded gym floor in the alpha's arms, his scent was amplified because of the sweat. The omega gave it no second thought, climbing into his lap and scenting each other.

 

_The nightmares frequency of the nightmares lessened._

_And Steve’s knuckles healed fully for the first time in years._


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, it’s finals week buts it’s almost over and then summer y’all!!! I’m literally so exited I’ve also planned quite a few chapters so updates will come more recently June-August :)

Tony's leg bounced anxiously as he leaned against his Mini Cooper, trying to be more subtle. He was torn about whether or not Bucky would even remember him, or be afraid of him? It had been months since his best friend was freed from captivity, but his fears were too many.

 

As usual a pros and cons comparison was essential :

 

_Pros: Bucky remembers you as his old best friend from childhood and you reunite and everyone is happy_

_Cons: Bucky doesn't remember you and is afraid because some random omega shows up and says he was your best friend since you were two years old._

 

After a another five minutes of thinking about it, he huffed, taking off his sunglasses and tucking them in his suit pocket. Mumbling to himself as he made his way to the front door of the blue house.

 

_Stop being a pussy, Stark_

_Fuck it_

 

He rang the doorbell, heartbeat quickening as he waited for someone to answer. There were muffled words exchanged in the house and footsteps coming towards the door.

 

_Ah yes, dorito man._  

 

Steve opened the door and smiled at him through the screen before opening it as well. His hair was a mess but he made it look good,as always, in full comfy day gear.

 

"Tony, come in!"He smiled, enthusiastic as usual. He'd of course texted Steve before coming over, not wanting to freak the healing omega out too much.

 

He nodded at Steve, patting him on the shoulder. "Sup, Cap."He shot him a smile as he stepped in and wiped his shoes on the mat. Bucky was leaning against a far wall, a pup holding his hand and leaning against him.

 

He smiled sheepishly before clearing his throat and introducing himself. "Hi, I'm Tony."

 

Bucky felt as if his life flashed before his eyes. The omega in front of him smelled like cinnamon, a fiery scent he could never forget.

 

_Brown eyes crinkled in delight as they held hands while swinging on the high tech swings in Tony's backyard._

_Hiding under the blankets until late at night while playing Mario on their DS's._

_The birthdays._

_The Saturday's spent swimming in the pool for hours._

_His best friend._

 

"Anthony?"Bucky choked out, tears springing to his eyes. Tony had changed dramatically, as had he. The once fifteen year old omega who always wore jeans and graphic t-shirts was now in a seemingly extremely expensive suit. His facial hair was unique in a way only Tony could pull it off.

 

_But it was him!_

 

He let go of Nova's hand and immediately pulled him into a hug. The other omega sighed in relief, finally having his best friend back. Nova ran over to Steve, pulling on his pant leg so he would carry her.

 

They watched the tearful reunion with big smiles, Nova was confused but smiling because Steve was smiling. The alpha had never seen Tony cry, so seeing him be completely vulnerable around Bucky tugged at his heart strings just a bit.

 

They pulled away from each other and smiled as Bucky led them to sit on the couch. Deciding that was his queue to leave them to catch up, Steve bribed Nova with popsicles and carried her to the kitchen.

 

They were silent for a while, simply taking in each other's presence and scent before Tony cleared his throat to break the silence.

 

"When you disappeared, It felt like half of me was missing for a long time, I don't think I ever got over it. So when I found out they had found you, I was terrified to come and see you in case you didn't remember me or-"

 

Bucky cut him off, smiling at him through teary eyes and putting his hand over the other omega's. "I could never forget you, Tones, at least not permanently."

 

With that Tony felt a weight lifted off his chest and he was able to talk more freely with Bucky. He told him about taking over as CEO after Howard died, and stopping their weapons manufacturing branch to instead provide funding and manpower to a military crisis team of sorts. Instead of providing weapons they were now trying to end wars all together.

 

Bucky talked to him about his time in captivity, causing them both to break down frequently throughout the chat. He told Tony how he'd been shoved in a car, which he was in for hours before a bag was pulled over his head when he was led to the darkness. He told him about being pregnant with Nova, the overwhelming fear that _he_ could kill his baby at any minute. He didn't go too far into detail, but he felt that his best friend deserved to understand what happened to him while he was in captivity.

 

"I promise you I will make sure that son of a bitch suffers."Tony fumed, already texting his lawyers to start working with the district attorney on the case. Bucky chuckled, although it felt like it had been a different lifetime, Tony seemed have the same demeanor as he did when they were young pups.

 

Steve brought them both drinks, coffee for Tony and apple juice for Bucky. Tony chuckled at the juice, joking about it being cheap whiskey.

 

_He used to long for apple juice, anything other than the filthy bucket water._

 

"So, has anyone tamed the billionaire, playboy omega?"Bucky smirked, sipping his juice. This caused Tony to blush, despite trying his best to keep his expression neutral. The other omega howled in laughter, playfully slapping him on the shoulder.

 

"So who's the lucky alpha?"He pressed, biting his bottom lip. He yearned to catch up on everything his best friend has been through, subconsciously wishing to have been able to thrive as Tony had.

 

"His uh, his name is Bruce and we have a son named Peter."He said somewhat quietly, smiling nonetheless. Bucky almost squealed before covering his mouth as they both laughed at his reaction.

 

_His best friend had built up his fathers business, gotten numerous degrees, had started a family._

_And Bucky? He was a broken omega no one could love._

 

Tony showed him pictures of them, the other omega recognizing Doctor Banner, which made sense since they told him he was "specially sent by Stark industries." On his shoulders was an adorable pup, around Nova's age with dark brown hair and golden eyes.

 

"I'm so happy for you, Tones."He smiled tearfully, his best friend of course noticed his change in energy and wrapped him in a hug. Tony was not a touchy person, he reserved hugs for only those who he loved dearly.

 

The omega felt horrible, blaming himself for possibly rubbing his life in his broken friend's face. He apologized but Bucky shook his head, giving him a forced smile and insisting it wasn't his fault, but the man that had taken him away in the first place.

 

_Brock Rumlow will burn_

 

—

 

Nova didn't take long to warm up to Tony, having had a small scenting session with Steve before hand while she enjoyed her strawberry popsicle. After some coaxing from her mother she smiled and introduced herself.

 

She felt safe with the other omega, finding his scent to have a similar effect as her mother since they both had pups. Once an omega gets pregnant, their scents change to signal that they are a mother, a protector.

 

 _Something that was sacred long ago, now forgotten for an overbearing social hierarchy; protecting Alphas_.

 

Nova ran her tiny hands through Tony's beard, similar to the way she did with Steve's growing one. He gave her a faux death stare and she simply giggled and hugged him in reply.

 

They ended up coloring with the pup, Tony showing off his artistic skills with an extremely rough drawing of his childhood hero, Iron Man.

 

Bucky laughed as Tony deflated at their reactions to his piece, only to perk back up and critique the fellow Omega's flimsy drawing of of a black widow spider.

 

Nova had drawn the night sky, filled with bright stars and a bright one bursting with color. The young pup seemed to have already learned to somewhat “blend” her crayons together, leading to a mesmerizing spiral with flecks of white.

 

“A supernova.”She whispered to them, eyes shining like the dying star, only to form something new. Something magical.

 

The sky began turning darkening, Nova’s precious stars taking over the sun’s job to light up the sky. The pup insisted on Tony taking her drawing of the supernova with him, to which the omega thanked her and kissed her forehead.

 

It was a tearful goodbye but a happy one, knowing that the other was just a call away. They had of course set up a play date for the pups the following week, Nova needing to interact with children her ages.

 

Bucky watched the silver Mini Cooper drive away, his heart beating hard in his chest from the amount of emotion he had been internalizing. Nova had gone into the art studio to continue her drawings on the colored paper the alpha kept in her drawers; far too entranced to notice the change in her mothers scent from the other room.

 

Steve scented the distress and softly wrapped his arms around the omega, bringing him to lay on the soft brown couch with him. Neither said a word as the omega nuzzled further into his neck as his heart rate slowed. As per usual, Bucky fell asleep, leading to the Alpha spending as much time as he could admiring the blue-eyed beauty.

 

He instinctively pressed a kiss to the top of Bucky’s head as he slipped out of his hold, covering him in a warm blanket. He barely missed the purr the omega let out in response, his nose scrunching for a second only to adjust his position and fall back asleep.

 

_A supernova of a life, like a phoenix rising from the ashes of abuse and despair._

_Braids in his hair and a smiling blue eyed alpha by his side._

_Happy_

 

_Fear_

 

_deadly brown eyes_

 

 _darkness_  

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY THIS IS TRASH. ITS ALSO SO SHORT AND HIGHKEY A FILLER BUT ITS CUTE SO. I’ve been hella busy but I swear I will try to improve on my upload schedule and make this lil novel more interesting :) plz point out any mistakes I am a tired girlie who can only proofread it so many times.

Bucky heard the dog before he saw it, it's nails scraping excitedly against the wooden floors and tail hitting everything around it. Nova jumped at the sudden noise, gripping her momma's leg for dear life. He managed to pry her off, taking her hand and leading them to the front door.

 

Sam was chatting with Steve, as the dog furiously wagged her tail. She was gorgeous to say the least, a pure white coat with icy blue eyes. The alpha turned to look at them before calming Luna down and beckoning them over.

 

The pup let go of his hand and stepped forward by herself, biting her lip before tapping the dog on the head. Luna just panted and twitched her nose.

 

Nova giggled, looking back at him and then at Steve with a smile. She slowly began to pet her, vibrating with excitement and the feeling of the soft white fur. The adults chatted for a few minutes before Steve thanked Sam for taking care of Luna and bid him goodbye.

 

They made their way to the living room, all sitting on the floor with Luna at the center of attention. Nova was petting the husky lovingly, giving her kisses. Luna eventually returned the kiss causing Nova's face to scrunch up at she wiped the slobber with her hand.

 

Nova fell in love with the dog, both immediately becoming best friends. The pup spent the morning running around the backyard with Luna, and drew pictures of her and taped them up all over their bedroom. Bucky was happy to have the dog around, it's happy energy rubbing off on him.

 

Around dinner time he shoved Steve out of the kitchen, insisting on showing off his cooking skills. The alpha simply smirked and sat on the barstool looking into the kitchen. Bucky blushed under his gaze but continued anyway.

 

He pulled out his necessary utensils and pans. Filling up a large pit with water and putting it to boil. He then searched the cabinet for the _veggie rotini_ and tomato basil sauce. Clumsily, he dropped the box of pasta and had to bend over to pick it up.

 

His face as red as a tomato, he pretended he didn't notice Steve's hungry stare. He lost himself in cooking, sautéing mushrooms and spinach before taking the rotini out of the boiling water.

 

He added all the ingredients in the large pot, seasoning it to perfection before stirring them all together. Pleased with his work he filled four bowls with pasta and topped them with a bit of parmesan cheese.

 

"Boom!"He teased, pushing one of the bowls towards Steve who simply rolled his eyes and smiled.

 

"It smells good, Buck."He complimented, transitioning to sit at the dinner table. They set the table, making sure Nova had her booster seat and princess utensils.

 

The omega made his way to the backyard, calling Nova in for dinner. The pup was rolling in the grass, playing tug of war with Luna.

 

Once hearing the mention of food she sped over to her mom, crashing into his knees with a giggle. Luna followed and sat down next to them.

 

Bucky picked her up, something he m been able to do in years. Nova's eyes brightened as she hugged his neck, tucking her nose to rest on his scent gland.

 

He leaned his head against hers and just held her for a couple minutes, making sure he never forgets the moment. Eventually he put her down in her booster seat at the dinner table and sat down himself.

 

He served Nova a small amount of pasta and making sure she had a napkin before serving himself and Steve. The alpha gave him a thankful smile before digging in.

 

Nova was giggling throughout the entire meal. Steve kept cracking jokes and pulling funny faces. The pup thought everything the alpha did was hilarious and usually responded with giggles. Watching Steve laugh with Nova almost overwhelmed Bucky.

 

The alpha laughed with his whole body thrown into it, usually leaning back with a hand on his chest and chuckling joyfully.

 

_It never failed to make Bucky smile_.

 

After dinner Nova insisted on helping clean, so Steve dragged over a step stool he'd bought for her and smiled as she stepped up. They quickly cleaned the dishes before transferring to the living room. Steve made his way to one end of the couch allowing Nova and Bucky to take their places in the middle.

 

"What do you wanna watch?"The alpha questioned, logging onto his Netflix profile on the flatscreen positioned above the fireplace. Bucky shrugged and turned to Nova who smiled brightly before replying.

 

"Mulan!"She exclaimed. She'd watched it at least five times the past month but loved the female warrior none the less. Steve chuckled and put on the movie.

 

A few minutes in he grabbed them blankets and turned off the lights, settling in a few feet away from them on the couch. Nova's eyes sparkled as she sang along with the songs, her scratchy little voice being the most precious thing the adults had ever heard.

 

She was exhausted after singing for almost the entire first half of the movie, slouching into the couch. Bucky watched as her eyes struggled to stay open with a pleased but tired smile on her face. Over time she drifted over to Steve, yawning and curling into his lap with her nose tucked into his neck.

 

Bucky watched as the Alpha's face relaxed, leaning his head against Nova's. They had both fallen asleep before the movie finished, as expected. The omega chuckled before deciding that he shouldn't leave them to sleep on the bed.

 

"Stevie."Bucky whispered, the blanket was wrapped tightly around him as he put his palm against the Alpha's scruffy cheek. He felt the man's face lean into his hand before his eyes sleepily blinked open.

 

"Good morning."He remarked jokingly, his scratchy, sleepy voice sending electricity up the omega's spine. Bucky simply smiled in response to the remark, holding out his hand for Steve to take.

 

The alpha made sure Nova was still wrapped tightly around him before he stood up, one hand supporting the pup and the other allowing him to be led somewhere in his sleepy state.

 

The alpha recognized they were going down the hall, past the art room and his own bedroom. Bucky led them into his and Nova's room and instructed him to get in the bed. The sleepy alpha was in no mood to argue with the omega and complied, crawling into the bed and tucking Nova in before passing out himself.

 

The omega smiled at the sight, and might have felt butterflies at the sight of Steve in _his bed_. He slipped in beside Nova, entire body calming down immediately because of the Alpha scent in the bed.

 

That night there were no nightmares. Only sleepy cuddles and the feeling of _finally being safe_.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have really bad writers block rn and idk what to do about it but at the same time I have a lot of ideas for other fics but I can’t do that till I finish this one so I’m tryna get so inspiration going but tis’ hard.
> 
>  
> 
> I’m probably gonna have to end up editing this whole book after it’s finish bc shit is ROUGH so let me know if there’s any mistakes I read it a few times but i really want to watch one punch man right now so there’s that.

Bucky had been meeting with his physical therapist for more than four months before it was decided he was fully healed. Although he was still quite skinny, both Bucky's and Nova's immune systems adapted to the new environments and were both considered "healthy." They of course celebrated with a tea party, as per Nova's request.

 

Steve had set up a set of antique tea cups he inherited from his mother, along with buying cute little scones and other sweets. Nova dressed up in her purple princess dress and her plastic heels.

 

"Luna has to be proper too,momma!"The pup insisted, smiling as she held out a pink tutu and a princess crown. The omega simply stared at her for a moment before the pup pouted her lower lip and gave her puppy dog eyes.

 

"Oh, alright."He caved.

 

And so, Nova and Luna arrived into the dining room, the husky wearing a pink tutu and a small princess crown. The alpha had howled with laughter, complimenting Luna on her attire.

 

Their tea party was mostly for Nova's enjoyment, but the adults and furry friend ended up having a good time. Steve had even bought a few dog-safe cookies and allowed Luna to have them throughout the tea party.

 

Weeks passed, but the omega continued to feel uncomfortable in his skin. He felt that although he was almost to a normal weight, he was still weak because his lack of muscle growth.

 

"I want to use the gym."Bucky declared one morning, while looking at Steve for permission.  The alpha smiled and took his hand, leading them to the gym.

 

The omega hadn't been able to truly appreciate the time and money Steve had put into building his home gym. The walls that weren't filled up with different types of equipment were filled by mirrors. The floors were white, leading to a bright room that resembled a commercial gym.

 

The alpha had everything one would need and more, including a rock climbing treadmill. Steve led him around, explaining what all the equipment was and what is was used for before they stopped to sit on a bench.

 

"So did you every workout before...?"He trailed on, not wanting to trigger Bucky too much. The omega simply laughed and shook his head.

 

"I was fifteen, the most I did was skateboard with my friends."He reminded, watching as Steve's face fell at the mention of his lost youth. The alpha felt large amounts of anger bubbling up inside his chest.

 

_He was so young._

 

The alpha shook the feelings away and stood up, clearing his throat and deciding that they would start with some stretches first. Bucky groaned but complied anyway, whispering how 'stretching is boring' and 'pointless' under his breath.

 

Steve chuckled along as always, the alpha's easy sense of humor was always fulfilled by Bucky's attitude.

 

They started with strength, Steve laying out their plan to do squats, pull ups, bench press, them ending with deadlifts. The alpha had started him off with no weight on the 50 pound bar, but it was still a struggle for him to get it up.

 

"Keep your chest up."The alpha reminded for what felt like the twentieth time. Bucky just blew his hair out of his eyes and complied with the instruction.

 

Next was the pull ups, of which Bucky knew he could never do when he was younger. Vivid flashbacks of middle school gym class and being laughed at for being unable to do a pull up.

_Maybe if I was stronger I could have gotten away._

_I could have fought harder_.

 

Bucky shook his thoughts away, deciding not to dwell on the past but focus on the future, (Natasha would be proud). It didn't matter that he wasn't strong enough then, he sure as hell was going to work to be strong enough now.

 

He stared up at the high bar, the equipment seemingly made for alpha's given by the height discrimination.

 

"I've never done a pull up."The omega confessed bashfully, cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

 

"Then I'll teach you."The alpha said back simply. Bucky stepped in front of the bar, attempting to jump up and grab it but falling short each time. He turned back to find the alpha chuckling to himself.

 

"What you think this is funny?"The omega said in faux anger before breaking into a smile and giggling himself. The alpha didn't say anything, just settled his hands on the omega's waist.

 

Bucky froze, the alpha's hands were extremely large in comparison to his waist. Although the omega should have felt frightened, instead a sense of safety washed over him. His primal omega loving a big, strong alpha male.

 

The omega swallowed down a small whimper as Steve lifted him so he was able to reach and hold on to the bar. Instead of moving his hands, Steve simply kept them there, helping Bucky do his first pull up.

 

"Is this okay?"The alpha questioned, genuine concern conveyed through his words. Bucky nodded and gave him a smile before going for the second pull up.

 

After fifteen Bucky's arms started to give out, eventually letting go of the bar and dropping to the ground. Although it wasn't very many, and they were mostly assisted, the omega still felt proud of himself for trying it in the first place.

 

The feeling might have also been backed up by the proud smile Steve gave him, along with carefully tackling him to the floor in a playful manner. Bucky giggled like a child wrestling with Steve. They rolled around for a bit before the omega took the upper hand and pinned the Alpha's arms above his head.

 

Bucky knew that he could break out of the weak grip at any moment, but the fact that he complied anywaymade the omega's head go fuzzy.

 

"I win."He smiled, sticking his tongue out at which Steve smiled at and leaned up to press a kiss to the omega's cheek. The alpha's lips were soft in comparison to the beard he'd begun to grow, which was only helping his teddy bear demeanor.  Bucky's smooth cheek tingled at the feeling as he climbed off the alpha, flashing him a smile.

 

"I'm proud of you Buck, practically did those by yourself."The alpha congratulated, still smiling like a goddamn prince. Bucky rolled his eyes but blushed at the compliment anyway.

 

To say he was sore after the workout would be an understatement. Although the feeling was of course , slightly painful, he enjoyed it because it meant he was getting stronger.

 

They went separate ways after the workout, each going to their respective rooms to shower before meeting up in the art room.

 

Nova had already started painting, had been doing so for the past hour and to say her painting was impressive was an understatement.

The pup adjusted and learned to live in the outside world so quickly. She was learning fast enough to attend kindergarten the next year. It was a surprise that she would pick up on creative activities such as painting, let alone be on the path to being a child prodigy.

 

Steve had gotten there before him, painting next to Nova but facing towards her instead of beside. Nova later explained that it was a “surprise painting.”

 

“Nova,baby, it’s beautiful.”Bucky gushed, coming up behind her and pulling her into a hug.

 

The pup giggled and scented her mother, kicking her feet at the fact that she’d been picked up. The omega chuckled and set her down, petting her hair before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

 

“Go on.”

 

———-

 

The walls were a stark white faux brick, impenetrable. The only light in the tiny box of a living space was a small round LED light that had reenforced steel around it.

 

_Can’t pull a Bundy, I guess._

 

He sat on the his rusty bed, hair wet with sweat from both anxiety and the hot, humid air in the cell. Left his black hair stuck to his forehead, empty eyes thinking back to his sweet omega with no remorse, only regret for ever letting his guard down

 

“Rumlow.”

 

A guard was now standing in front of his cell, one hand on his waistband near the gun and the other holding a walkie-talkie.

 

“Lawyers’ here to escort you to the court house, your trial has begun.”

 

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi this is literally just tooth rotting fluff with a lil plot but idk it’s 12 am so if there’s a lot of mistakes I’m sorry lol. :) thank you all for your support I take every single comment to heart! Love y’all!

 

It was an innocent mistake really.

 

Tony was over again and they were all bundled up on the couch, Bucky cuddling with his omega friend of course. Nova had gone to bed hours ago, finally allowing the adults to watch something other than Paw Patrol.

 

Steve was channel surfing, trying to find something good on late night television when it happened. _He_ was on the screen for no more than five seconds, but it was enough to take him back.

 

 **Brock Rumlow Trial Begins In Favor of The Prosecution**.

 

 

 _He_ was there, _he_ looked different in the light. But his greasy black hair and empty eyes remained, an absolute psychopath.

 

 

_I only got small glances of him in the sunlight, best look I got was a phone flashlight when he would-_

 

The omega was moving before he could even process it, somehow ending up in the corner of the guest room, where he'd started another nest. He heard voices around him, but his eyelids were heavy and ears drumming.

 

_Oh... omega is definitely taking over._

 

Both Tony and Steve followed carefully after the omega, Tony waiting by the door when they reached the guest room. The alpha sighed at the sight of the trembling omega.

 

He slowly tiptoed over to him, making sure not to make any sudden movements that could startle him. When he got closer, the trembling suddenly stopped.

 

"Bucky?"He whispered, attempting to get the distressed omega's attention. At mention of his name the omega looked up at Steve with clouded blue eyes.

 

The alpha felt a knot in his stomach at the sight of the omega, his own hindbrain responding to Bucky's omega taking over. He of course pushed away the feeling and held his hand out to the omega.

 

He looked back at Tony, who had also figured out Bucky's condition. They shared glances and Tony signaled that he was going to head out and mouthed, "have him call me later," before shooting him a wink and disappearing down the hallway.

 

Bucky smiled at him sleepily, although his blue eyes were glazed over, the omega looked beautiful with his dark hair braided. Bucky nuzzled at his hand with his cheek, deciding he would allow the alpha into his nest.

 

"Omega."Steve's chest rumbled inducing purrs from younger man. Steve was sitting on the cushions, leaning against the wall as Bucky tidied his nest.

 

The omega responded to the call, climbing into the alpha's lap and resting his head against the alpha's strong chest. Eventually deciding to move up in order to scent him.

 

"Alpha."Bucky whispered back, dragging his teeth over the Alpha's scent gland. Steve swallowed harshly but allowed the omega to continue anyway.

 

The omega sat up from his former position, giggling as he nuzzled against the Alpha's beard. Steve chuckled, hand coming up to pet the omega's hair and press a kiss to his forehead.

 

"Thank you, Alpha."Bucky whispered, bearing his neck for Steve to scent. The alpha smiled stroking Bucky's cheek before moving to place his hand behind the omega's neck.

 

That's when he felt them, small scars on the skin but unmistakable. The alpha paused for a second but decided now was not the right time to bring it up, so he nuzzled into the omega's neck.

 

_That fucker tried to bond him, multiple times it seems._

 

Failed bondings are devastating on an omega's body, who rejects the bond when the omega is in distress. It left Bucky practically lifeless for days, laying on the concrete and sobbing at the emotional and physical pain of a failed bond.

 

The alpha pushed his emotions to the side once again, he had a job to do after all. The omega had started purring and stroking through the alpha's short blonde locks; motherly instincts to care for and relax taking over.

 

Bucky fell to the deepest point in his omega-space, meaning he would then come back to consciousness within a few hours. The alpha sensed it, changing their positions so he could see Bucky clearly.

 

The omega giggled at the movement, smiling down at the alpha with his hands hanging on tightly to Steve's shirt. Seemingly desperate for more scent, the omega resorted to pulling down the Alpha's collar as he scented him.

 

"Don't like my shirt, omega?"He chuckled lightly, at which the omega shook his head. The alpha jumped at the feeling of the omega's soft hands now running up his torso, a teasing smile on Bucky's face.

 

Before the omega could take it too far Steve softly grasped his wrists, chuckling at the pout Bucky responded with. They had been laying in the nest for at least thirty minutes, the omega slightly more aware.

 

"How about we get water?"Steve questioned, raising his eyebrow. The omega nodded, not happy to be leaving his nest but taking into account his dry throat as well.

 

The alpha carefully coaxed the omega out of the nest, once standing Bucky sticking to him like glue. He managed to get them to the kitchen, ending up just carrying the omega since his clinging wasn't letting Steve move.

 

_Bucky is very **very** sweet while in omega space, noted._

 

He set the omega down on his feet and moved over to the cabinet to grab two glasses. Bucky, dazed as ever, trailed his fingers across everything he came across. Steve moved to the fridge to fill up the glasses with water, the omega following.

 

Bucky then noticed his pup's drawings all over the fridge. He smiled, tracing his fingers over her finger painting of the moon. Luna's nails clicking against the wooden floor announced the dog's arrival, the omega immediately going to pet her.

 

Steve handed a glass of water to Bucky, which the omega gulped down. The alpha settled with sipping his water in intervals.

 

"Pup."The omega said simply, yearning to hold his puppy. Steve smiled and nodded, leading them to Bucky and Nova's bedroom.

 

The pup was a tiny lump in the large bed, which the alpha couldn't help but chuckle at. The omega gravitated towards his pup, climbing into the bed and pulling Nova into his arms.

 

Nova mumbled in protest but once scenting that it was her mother she relaxed in his arms. Steve watched fondly from the doorway, the omega softly pet his pup's hair and whisper loving words in her ear.

 

The alpha spared one last glance before turning off the lights and heading to his own bedroom. Luna followed as usual, tail wagging happily behind her.

 

Although the alpha was used to sleeping with just his dog, after cuddling with the sweet omega for so long; it's difficult to drift off without him.

 

Steve resorted to doing some research, grabbing his laptop and sitting up in the bed. He debated what to type, so many thoughts running through his mind.

 

Eventually, he started his deep dive into the monster that is Brock Rumlow. His first search was simple, but it was truly all he needed to know. Fingers typing nervously, Steve clicked _“I’m Feeling Lucky”_

 

 **Brock Rumlow Kidnapping Case Evidence.**

 

In the state of New York it's law for judicial files to be public record, thus allowing the alpha to read through Bucky's statement. He nearly cried when he saw the pictures from the chamber they were kept in.

 

_They were in prison for years, having committed no crime but existing._

 

Steve wished he could teach Rumlow a lesson himself, but considering he’s getting a life sentence as a sex offender, loyal alpha’s in prison will do that for him.

 

_If he so much as says Bucky or Nova’s name’s.. I’ll make sure he can never speak again._

 

His thoughts were quite violent for an alpha known for his calmness, but his inner urge to protect his omega overrides all ethical thinking.

 

_Except Bucky’s not your omega_

_Not yet._

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> your girl got the grammarly keyboard so my shitposting I call a fic can make sense.
> 
> (needs editing) (I usually post chapters are like midnight then proofread them the next morning like an idiot lol)

Bucky woke up abruptly the next morning, the light shining through the windows hitting right on his eyes. The Omega had come back to full consciousness, having slept off the drowsy state.

 

Slowly the memories during his omega space started coming to him, and all were pleasant enough for his cheeks to turn red.

 

_There were lots of cuddles.. and other things._

 

Bucky was somewhat embarrassed about his frisky state at the time. There was an inner struggle going on inside his mind.

 

A large part of him felt disgusted with himself for even thinking about sex after what he'd endured for years. Yet, the fighter in him wouldn't let what happened to him control his life or his decisions.

 

It was safe to say the omega had woken up to a hell of a headache. The bed beside him was empty, and judging by the noise coming from the kitchen, Nova and Steve were causing some trouble.

 

The omega bundled himself up in a blanket and heaved himself out of bed. Dragging his feet to the bathroom, he quickly brushed and flossed before taming his growing hair and deciding he looked suitable enough for breakfast.

 

Deciding, _fuck it_ , Bucky took the blanket with him, still wrapped around his shoulders. He found the kitchen in an o.k state. There was a bit of flour on the floor and some of the cabinets; it seemed that the trouble makers managed to keep it mostly on their opponent.

 

Nova had flour in her hair and on her small purple apron, which had been gifted to her by the gracious Tony Stark. Steve's condition wasn't much better, looking paler than usual with the amount of flour on his face.

 

The omega couldn't help but laugh at the sight, attempting to wipe the flour out of Nova's hair. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before taking her hand.

 

"I'll leave you to finish whatever you two were making, this little one needs a shower before breakfast."He stated, at which Nova deflated but remained compliant anyway. The Omega didn't miss the sparkle in Steve's eye when he smiled at nodded at them.

 

The alpha took a deep breath as he watched the omega walk away with the pup, putting the waffle mix into the maker and waiting for it to cook. During that time he managed to clean up both himself and the kitchen; the timer dinged right when he put the towel down.

 

The alpha made a few more waffles, all the while trying to figure out his own inner struggle with his instincts. Whenever he looked at the omega with the pup, he thought of them as _his_.

 

_Not in a possessive way, he thought of them as his to protect and love._

 

He'd felt a pull towards the omega ever since they first met in the overly sterile hospital room. The alpha knew the statistics, saying that he had an 80% chance of finding his mate through the program.

 

Steve had supported many omegas, all who he loves dearly in a friendly way. But Bucky was different.

 

The omega's hair was long and uncared for at the time, he was thin and fragile but all the same, had a determined look in his eyes. At the time he still had the feeding tube in, and Steve's heart had dropped every time he turned to look at him and the omega would turn his face to hide the tube.

 

_He wanted to tell him he was beautiful, always had been._

 

The alpha continued preparing breakfast, checking the time and realizing they had less than an hour before having to leave for Bucky's therapy appointment.

 

The omega and pup sat down at the table a few minutes later, Nova now dressed in an adorable jean dressed patterned with flowers and insects. Steve couldn't help but smile at the pup's ponytails as he cut up her waffles.

 

The Omega had also showered and changed into a comfy t-shirt and sweatpants. He knew he was going to be crying at therapy. They chatted a bit while they ate, mostly Nova about new things she'd learned or seen. The adults always smiled and encouraged her learning, glad that she was adjusting quickly.

 

Before he knew it they were in the car and driving out of the neighborhood, Nova waving at everyone she saw. Bucky loved to watch her when they rode in the car, she was so excited about everything she saw.

 

Natasha's office was only twenty minutes from their house, in a one-story outpatient hospital building. Steve pulled up to the front, giving his hand one last squeeze and a smile. Whenever the alpha dropped him off, he always made sure to have calming pheromones flooding the car during the entire ride.

 

"I'm going to take Nova to pick out some winter clothes, we'll see you in an hour okay?"

 

Bucky nodded in response as he got out of the car and shut the door, moving to open up Nova's door and give her a kiss on the cheek.

 

"Love you, momma."She smiled, her nose was slightly red from the cold air. Bucky gave her an Eskimo kiss before telling her that he loved her as well.

 

Starting the conversation was the hardest part of therapy in his opinion. Most sessions they sit in silence for a few minutes as the omega tries to get his thoughts together.

 

The only sentence he could manage to form was, "I'm attracted to Steve."

 

Nat smiled at him and lightly chuckled, but not in a demeaning matter. "So is half the omega population buddy."She reminded, at which Bucky blushed.

 

"But it's still valid, why are you distressed about being attracted to Steve?"She questioned, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him. It always seemed to get the answers out of the anxious omega.

 

"Well, I don't know, I thought I would be repulsed by the mere mention of alphas or sex given by what _he_ did to me."He whispered the last part quietly, ashamed and tortured by the memories.

 

"Bucky, you told me you don't want him to control your life now right?"She reminded at which the omega nodded.

 

"Everyone heals differently and at different rates, you have a connection with Steve from him being your support alpha; I think your omega just wants to feel real love for once."She rambled, but it made perfect sense to the omega. Of course, his omega would want to cover up the horrors of his adolescence with some good memories.

 

"You were determined back to full health a few weeks ago right?"Natasha asked. Bucky thought back and nodded, waiting for her to explain what that has to do with anything.

 

"Well, you told me that the doctor said after you were determined back to full health, your heat could come back any day."

 

_Oh shit_

 

Bucky had completely forgotten about that, what in the world was he going to do?

 

_Was he ready to be with an alpha?_

_Was he ready to be with anyone?_

 

He battled with himself over what to do about his heat, he trusted Steve not to hurt him. He wasn't scared of the act itself, but what memories it might trigger. The Omega wouldn't know what to do with himself if he had a meltdown during his heat.

 

"I know it's a big decision, and it's perfectly understandable if you want to spend the heat alone; but given it's your first one in five years, it's going to be intense."She reminded, trying to keep the omega as calm as possible.

 

"I should probably talk to Steve 'bout it, see what he thinks."He mumbled, mostly to himself as his leg bounced anxiously. Nat nodded, giving him a serene smile before continuing with their session.

 

—

 

The car ride home was tense, the pup had saddened the moment she saw her mother's puffy red eyes. It was the same every week, the rides back from therapy appointments were never fun.

 

They pulled up to the blue house, Steve parking in the garage. The Omega hopped out of the car and helped his pup out as well, who was immediately speeding off into the house to play with Luna.

 

Before Steve could open the door into the house Bucky gently grabbed his arm, pulling him back. ”Can we talk for a sec?”He asked nervously.

 

The alpha could scent the anxiety radiating off the omega, he nodded and turned towards him. Bucky took a deep breath and recalled what he and Natasha had talked about earlier.

 

”My heat is coming.”He blurted out, darting his eyes around the room, looking anywhere but at the alpha.

 

Steves' eyes turned widened into saucers, clearing his throat and paying attention to the omega.

 

”I-Um, I’m not sure when it's going to happen, but I was just wondering what you think I should do.”He admitted, breathing deeply in an attempt to control his rapid heartbeat.

 

”What do you mean?”

 

_Oh, this man was so clueless sometimes._

_Or maybe he just realizes how broken you really are._

 

”The doctor said it would be unbearable without someone to help me through it, but I’m terrified.”The omega sniffled, gravitating towards the alpha scent in his distress.

 

Steve’s thoughts were jumbled, he couldn’t even begin to imagine what the omega was going through. The moment the first tear slid down the omega’s cheek Steve had his arms wrapped around him.

 

Bucky buried his nose into the alpha’s scent gland, holding on tightly to his back. He felt the tickle of kisses being pressed behind his ear and on his neck; sending a shiver down the omega’s spine.

 

”You’re the only alpha I trust.”The omega admitted, pulling away so he could see Steve’s reaction. The alpha took a second to process what he meant before giving him a smile and kissing the omega’s cheek.

 

Bucky pulled away for again, still holding on to Steve’s forearms so he could look the alpha in the eye.

 

”If you don’t want to do this, you don't have to, I’d understand why.”He whispered pitifully, causing Steve’s inner alpha to get _really angry_ at him.

 

_Omega feels inferior, unacceptable._

 

Steve sighed and held the omega’s face between his hands. ”Why would you say that?”He asked, needing to understand how someone he sees as perfect can feel self-conscious.

 

Bucky snorted and gave him a sad smile. ”Well for starters I have PTSD from being kidnapped, raped, and beaten; as you know. It's left me with a pretty fucked up image of myself, you’ve seen me at my worst and it's not pretty. I don't know how I’m going to react to being in the heat or having sex but I might freak out, which is again, hella unattractive-”

 

”I’m gonna stop you right there.”Steve cut him off, pulling him onto the little couch he has in his garage ”man cave”. He held the omega close and nuzzled against him.

 

”You’re gorgeous omega, and yes I know you think you’re broken but I see you heal more and more every day. I hate that motherfucker for doing that shit to you, whenever I box it's always his face that replaces the punching bag.”

 

”I’m here to help you through your darkest hours Buck, I’m with ya’ till the end of the line.”He promised, giving the omega a smile. Bucky snorted and whispered, ” _fuckin’ dork.”_ under his breath.

 

The alpha, of course, retaliated with tickle torture. Bucky’s giggles bounced off the walls of the garage, and Steve swore he’d never seen a more beautiful sight than this omega laughing with his eyes crinkled up.

 

They ended up pressed together, far too close but neither an moving away. The omega simply giggled and nuzzled into his neck. Steve’d never felt so content in his life. 

 

 

 

 


End file.
